Senate heads for showdown with the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON—The Senate is headed for a tense showdown over President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee that could have far-reaching consequences for Congress, the high court and the nation.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Republicans are determined to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch within the week. But to do so, they will likely have to override Democratic objections and unilaterally change Senate rules so that Gorsuch can be confirmed with a simple majority in the 100-seat chamber, instead of the 60-voter threshold.

Though it may seem arcane, the approach is known on Capitol Hill as the "nuclear option," because it strikes at the heart of the Senate's traditions of bipartisanship and collegiality.

It would allow all future Supreme Court nominees to be confirmed without regard to the objections of the minority party. And senators of both parties say that proceeding with the rules change could ultimately lead to complete elimination of the minority party's ability to block legislation via filibuster, one of the few remaining mechanisms that force bipartisan cooperation in Congress.

"Once you go down this path it's awful easy just to keep going, and that is not a good thing," said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., a senior lawmaker.

Nevertheless, Republican senators are fully prepared to take the step, blaming Democrats for forcing them into it by preparing to filibuster a well-qualified nominee.

And Democrats are just as ready to push the GOP to pull the trigger, even as they argue that McConnell and Republicans will have only themselves to blame.

"He can prove that he cares about the Senate by not changing the rules," Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York told The Associated Press, referring to McConnell.